Bearing assemblies

Abstract

There is provided in combination a shaft and a bearing assembly on the shaft comprising a bush having a cylindrical bore in which the shaft is received and a part-spherical outer periphery, and opposed housing members secured, or adapted to be secured, together having inner surfaces shaped to co-operate with the outer periphery of the bush so as to hold and locate the bush whilst allowing tilting of the bush within the assembled housing members, at least one of the housing members being formed to provide for axial and radial location of the assembly on or in a mounting therefor, characterized in that the shaft has a peripheral annulus, the bush has an annulus in its bore and a locating member is engaged with the two annuli and thereby locates the shaft axially in the bearing assembly.

I claim: 
     
       1. In combination a shaft (16) and a bearing assembly (1) on the shaft comprising a bush (11) having a cylindrical bore (11') in which the shaft is received and a part-spherical outer periphery (12), and opposed housing members (2,3) adapted to be together having inner surfaces shaped to co-operate with the outer periphery of the bush so as to hold and locate the bush whilst allowing tilting of the bush within the assembled housing members, at least one of the housing members being formed to provide for axial and radial location of the bearing assembly on or in a mounting therefor, characterised in that the shaft (16) has a peripheral annulus (19), the bush (11) has an annulus (15) in its bore (11') and a locating member (21) is engaged with the two annuli (19,15) and thereby locates the shaft axially in the bearing assembly (1). 
     
     
       2. The combination according to claim 1 characterised in that the annulus (15) of the bush (11) is disposed centrally of the length of the bore (11'). 
     
     
       3. The combination according to claim 1 characterised in that the annuli (19,15) of the shaft (16) and bush (11) are grooves into which the locating member (21) is received. 
     
     
       4. The combination according to claim 3 characterised in that the locating member (21) is in the form of a snap ring or spring clip. 
     
     
       5. The combination according to claim 3 characterised in that the locating member (21) is in the form of a snap ring of circular cross-section and generally oval in shape. 
     
     
       6. The combination according to any of claim 3 characterised in that the bush (11) has lubrication passages (14) extending from its part-spherical outer periphery into the annulus (15) of the bush. 
     
     
       7. The combination according to claim 1 characterised in that the housing members (2,3) each have an outer flange portion (4) at which they are secured, or adapted to be secured, together, and at which they are adapted to be secured to a mounting for the bearing assembly (1) to locate the bearing assembly axially and radially on or in the mounting. 
     
     
       8. The combination according to claim 7 characterised in that the outer flange portions (4) of the housing members (2,3) have registering holes (5) whereby the housing members are secured together, and can be secured to the mounting, by means of bolts or like fastenings. 
     
     
       9. The combination according to claim 1 characterised in that the housing members (2,3) each have an axially extending portion including one or more part-spherical portions (8) complementary to, and providing the inner surfaces which co-operate with, the outer periphery of the bush (11). 
     
     
       10. The combination according to claim 9 characterised in that each housing member (2,3) has three said part-spherical portions (8) equi-spaced apart. 
     
     
       11. The combination according to claim 1 characterised in that at least the said one housing member (2,3) formed to provide for axial and radial location of the bearing assembly (1) on or in a mounting, has one or more protrusions (7) adapted to locate radially against a surface or surfaces of the mounting radially spaced from the central axis of the bore (11'), the arrangement being such that in use of the combination a radial force applied to the shaft (16) is reacted by the bearing assembly by a proportion of the radial force being transmitted to the mounting through the protrusion (7), or one of the protrusions (7). 
     
     
       12. The combination according to claim 11 characterised in that there are three said protrusions (7) equi-spaced around the central axis of the bore (11'). 
     
     
       13. The combination according to claim 12 characterised in that the housing member (2, 3) each have an axially extending portion including three part-spherical portions (8) equi-spaced apart and complementary to, providing the inner surfaces which cooperate with, the outer periphery of the bush (11), and the three part-spherical portions (8) are disposed between the three equi-spaced protrusions (7) such that the part-spherical portions and protrusions alternate sound around the central axis of the bore (11'). 
     
     
       14. The combination according to any preceding claim characterised in that the housing members (2,3) have portions shaped to provide housings adjacent to opposite ends of the bore (11') and O-ring seals (9) are applied to the shaft (16) at opposite ends of the bore and received in said housings. 
     
     
       15. The combination according to claim 1 characterised in that one said housing member (2) has a platform (17) on which is received and located a grease nipple (18) for injection of grease to lubricate the outer periphery of the bush (11) and co-operating inner surfaces of the housing members (2,3). 
     
     
       16. The combination according to claim 1 characterised in that the shaft is an S-cam brake shaft. 
     
     
       17. A bearing assembly comprising a bush (11) having a part-spherical outer periphery (12) and a cylindrical bore (11') adapted to receive a shaft of complementary diameter, and opposed housing members (2,3) adapted to be secured together having inner surfaces shaped to co-operate with the outer periphery of the bush so as to hold and locate the bush whilst allowing tilting of the bush within the assembled housing members, at least one of the housing members being formed to provide for axial and radial location of the bearing assembly on or in a mounting therefor, characterised in that the bush (11) has an annulus (15) in the form of a groove in, and disposed centrally of the length of, the bore (11') and a locating member (21) in the form of a snap ring or spring clip is engaged in the annulus and protrudes the bore (11') so as to be able to engage in an annular groove in a shaft which the bore is adapted to receive and thereby locate the shaft axially in the bearing assembly.